title: The mouse aortocaval fistula recapitulates human arteriovenous fistula maturation.
abstract: Several models of arteriovenous fistula (AVF) have excellent patency and help in understanding the mechanisms of venous adaptation to the arterial environment. However, these models fail to exhibit either maturation failure or fail to develop stenoses, both of which are critical modes of AVF failure in human patients. We used high-resolution Doppler ultrasound to serially follow mice with AVFs created by direct 25-gauge needle puncture. By day 21, 75% of AVFs dilate, thicken, and increase flow, i.e., mature, and 25% fail due to immediate thrombosis or maturation failure. Mature AVF thicken due to increased amounts of smooth muscle cells. By day 42, 67% of mature AVFs remain patent, but 33% of AVFs fail due to perianastomotic thickening. These results show that the mouse aortocaval model has an easily detectable maturation phase in the first 21 days followed by a potential failure phase in the subsequent 21 days. This model is the first animal model of AVF to show a course that recapitulates aspects of human AVF maturation.
authors.affiliation: Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare Systems, West Haven, Connecticut;
authors.forename: Kota
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Clinton D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Protack
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsuneki
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Daniel Y
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Assi
authors.forename: Willis T
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Nirvana
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sadaghianloo
authors.forename: Hualong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.forename: Tetsuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miyata
authors.forename: Joseph A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Madri
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dardik
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001164:Arteriovenous Fistula / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D023421:Models, Animal; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
keywords: aortocaval fistula; arteriovenous fistula; maturation; model; mouse